CA Gov. Newsom signs bill that endangers children, parental rights in all 50 states
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Vice President of Advocacy Strategy Emilie Kao regarding California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing Thursday of SB 107, which gives California courts the ability to strip parents in other states of their parental rights if their child travels to or is taken to California to obtain life-altering hormones and irreversible surgeries. The law ignores the established authority of the other 49 states and increases the risk of irreparable harm to America’s children:
“Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and care of their children, which includes making the best decisions regarding their child’s mental, emotional, and physical health. California’s dangerous and extreme new law is the latest in an onslaught of attacks against parental rights and a demonstration of just how far some governments are willing to go to replace parents as the ultimate decisionmakers of what’s best for children. In an astonishing disregard for the Constitution and the laws of other states, California will now be able to take away custody of children from their own parents—no matter what state they’re from—and deny families the right to access their child’s medical information. ADF and the Promise to America’s Parents Coalition, which represents millions of parents across the country, will continue to fight for the ability of parents to raise their children in accordance with their beliefs and values and the best evidence from science and medicine.”
- Pronunciation guide: Kao (GOW’)
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Emilie Kao
Emilie Kao serves as senior counsel and vice president of advocacy strategy for Alliance Defending Freedom. In her role, she works on academic scholarship and coalitions of strategic partners. She previously served as director of the DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society at the Heritage Foundation. She also worked as senior legal counsel at an international human rights law firm, East Asia team leader in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of International Human Rights, and director of international advocacy at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. She was an adjunct professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and is co-editor of the “First Principles on International Human Rights” essay series. She has testified before the U.S. Congress and spoken at the United Nations in Geneva and New York. Kao earned her A.B. cum laude from Harvard University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is a member of the state bars of California and the District of Columbia and is admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court.